Vicky Pattison has shared a personal and powerful message about self-acceptance.
She posted side-by-side pictures of herself on Instagram. On the left, a photo from her early nights out as a TV personality during her 20s.
On the right, a more recent and more natural snap. Talking to her 4.2 million fans, she confessed: "I could not believe it when I stumbled across this little beauty!
"I simply do not know what to address first: the tan & the hair are top contenders obvs, but I feel like the pleather skirt, luminous accessories & doughnut tee deserve a mention too oh & the makeup"
The 33-year-old former reality star continued: "I remember this night super clearly, I mean this particular ensemble would be difficult to forget in fairness, but what sticks in my memory most is how I felt."
Vicky continued: "Despite the bright colours, confident poses & seemingly relaxed demeanour I was super uncomfortable, insecure & obsessed with my appearance in particular my weight.
"I’d crept up to 9 stone & was convinced I was ‘fat’.
"A terrifying mentality that had been exacerbated by the media’s obsession with women’s weight & bodies as well as my own preexisting insecurities."
Addressing her more sophisticated look on the right-hand side, Vicky went on: "Everyone can’t wait to tell you about the pitfalls of your 30s - you’ll get crows feet, hangovers take longer to recover from than minor surgery, your metabolism slows, a declining libido & don’t even get me started about fertility!
"But what people are less vocal about is this incredible feeling of self acceptance you begin to develop," she added.
"Don’t get me wrong, the journey to self love is a long & difficult one & as women I think we’ll always struggle- but over the last couple years, as I’ve got older I’ve just become so much happier & content in my own skin.
"This girl on the right is a world away from the scared, vulnerable & weight obsessed girl on the left.
"The girl on the right knows she isn’t perfect & is fine with that, she has no idea what she weighs & understands her happiness is not intrinsically linked to that.
"She cares more about what her friends & family think of her than people who read gossipy headlines. She is happy."
The former reality star said she believes that with age comes wisdom, concluding: "I’m not embarrassed of my fashion fails, makeup mishaps or grazed knees from my 20s & neither should you be.
"They lead you to become the brave & powerful women you are today. And to anyone worrying about your grey hairs, or your next birthday, don’t.
"Ageing is beautiful & natural & with every passing year you learn to love, appreciate and accept yourself that little bit more & that is special."
Vicky, who describes herself on Instagram as a "TV Star, Jungle Queen, Masterchef finalist & Feminist", first rose to fame when she appeared on MTV’s Geordie Shore from 2011 to 2014, getting off with or, as she called it, "tashing on" with local lads from Newcastle.
Then she appeared in Ex On The Beach and her own show, Judge Geordie.
She became Queen of the Jungle in the 2015 series of I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!, beating Union J singer George Shelley and her reality star friend Ferne McCann to the winning spot.
But in 2019. she discovered that her then-fiancé John had been cheating on her and she called off their engagement. At the time, she was devastated but has said since, "As cruel as it is, John did us a favour. He wasn’t for me."
Nine months after splitting with John, Vicky started dating TOWIE star Ercan Ramadan and the couple now live together.
In the same year, Vicky reached the final of Celebrity MasterChef in 2019, coming third to Oti Mabuse and the winner Gerg Rutherford. Although she found the series "exhausting", Vicky said she was pleased to have been brave enough to enter the competition.
“I was doubting myself when I first got here. Now I have a real sense of self. I’ve loved learning something new and finding myself again.”
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